This Sculpture park is a unique and hidden gem located on Green Hill Beach rd on the border of…read moreSouth Kingstown and Charlestown. There are 23 sculptures nestled amongst the trees and trails. Bring bug spray during peak season. Even though the walk is short, there is quite a bit of vegetation and amazing art on display. My favorite was the HUGE bull as you first walk in. This thing is massive and a fun way to enter the park. More info: The South Kingstown Land Trust Sculpture Trail is a short .4 mile walk that mingles nature with art. Enter the trail at the midpoint and notice the large map indicating the location of each sculpture. Walkers may turn right or left to explore the 3 acres of easy trails and diverse sculptures. Look for dream catchers and crystals, poetry boxes and a giant red cow. The Sculpture Trail is a great place for a slow walk through the woods or a visit with children who will love to find each sculpture. Be sure to stop at the final sculptures and turn around, as the property and trails come very close to private property.

A truly different experience from the exemplary SKLT, the Sculpture Trail is whimsical and charming…read morewhile taking full advantage of the natural beauty inherent. Kudos to those who made this possible and the artists who contributed their work! If visiting in the fall, the brilliant foliage colors and drifting leaves complement the artworks nicely. My only quibble is that I wish there were informational tags attached to the sculptures so that you knew what the piece was called and the artist (apparently, there's supposed to be an informational placard at the trail entrance, but this was missing at the time of our visit; the SKLT trail map brochure, however, does list the pieces' name/artist, but we didn't have one on us). Upon entrance to the trail, you are greeted by a massive bull made from, of course, a barbeque grill ("Sir Loin Barbeque Bull" by Sean Harrington) - and from there, you're off to follow the meandering trails to discovery. There's also a Fairy Village for visitors to build their own fairy houses, so would also be a fun place for the kids.

One of the best trails I've been on. Most of the trail has wooden planks, and the rest of it…read moreyou're usually hugging a gate to the military base. The path from the parking lot takes you right to the waterfront, and you can continue on following the path along the gate (although I didn't go all the way around). Paths are clear and easy to follow to. As a side note, be wary of GPS. Mine wanted to take me into the military base, but the entrance road to the parking lot is next to the road to the military base; the last thing you want is the military coming after you. But the signs are clearly marked, so as long as you pay attention to the road and signs and not the GPS you should be fine.

Tucked away with a small parking lot that may fill on busy days. It is a short hike, but the views…read moreare great once you reach the coastline. Went after few days of rain with no concern for muddy areas as the boardwalks keep you out of the wet areas. Good short hike for rocky coastal view and didn't see anyone else during the whole hike!

Bucolic farmland and walking trails, the site is graced by some beautiful buildings which also…read morehouse the South Kingstown Land Trust offices as well as spaces for meetings and gatherings. During our visit, we were attracted to one of the buildings where a delightful choral group was singing "Sacred Harp" (aka "shape notes") style. After listening to a few songs, we progressed to the trail itself, which borders along a working farm. If you're a birder, you'll like this place as many bird-watchers gather here; if you're like us and just like to stroll a classic New England farm with stone walls, noble trees, and cultivated fields, this is a beautiful place to enjoy the views and the crisp autumn air. An easy walk and very peaceful.

A well-marked set of trails and loops that convey you through various types of terrain: oak…read morewoodland, eskers, vernal ponds, boulder fields, grasslands, white pine, and old stone walls. Portions of the preserve are sobering however: the oak forest is pretty much dead, devastated by past years' severe drought and invasive insect infestations. Although awful to see, it is also "awe-full" in that there is a somber beauty and grandeur in seeing vast swathes of these once-mighty trees bare-leafed and gaunt. While haunting, the trails do take you through vibrant (and apparently healthy) white pine woods, fields, and large vernal pools. The preserve has also thoughtfully provided some information signs, pointing out areas of environmental concern as well as important native tree varieties. There's plenty of parking available at the Old Mill Road trailhead as well as a convenient composting bathroom.

A whole lot of…read morerocks The Francis Carter Memorial Preserve is an eleven hundred acre track of land that has several very well marked trails running through it. Nice to see trails so well marked and with maps actually at places along the trails. Makes it virtually impossible to get lost and you know the exact distance of any individual trail. Many of the trails are short, only a bit more than a mile, but they all interconnect so you can get several hours of hiking in the beautiful woods. There are lots of cool rocks in New England but this place is just infested with rocks of every size and description, as well as numerous stone walls running through the woods. The hiking isn't difficult with just a few minor hills, but it does require some care to keep stepping over all the rocks. The Francis Carter Preserve is very popular with hikers but also with mountain bikers, equestrians, dog walkers, and in the winter cross country skis and snow shoes. A very nicely maintained and extremely well marked series of trails with all kinds of interesting flora, geographic features and of course lots and lots of wonderful rocks.

NEVER AGAIN!! The GOOD:…read moreLocation Atmosphere Taste of food offered The Bad: Food quantity for the price!! After my partner's friend told him about this place and how it was wonderful, all you can eat (he went to a meat offered menu) we chose to try the shellfish and champagne on August 15th. Again the venue is wonderful the setup was beautiful there was oysters on the half shell and those seem to be very plentiful but we didn't over eat on those we wanted to save for the main meals which was supposed to be halibut Lobster, &scallops. when we got there the menu card added herbed crusted chicken for some reason. Everything was family style, truthfully, the chicken platter had the most plentiful amount of food on it!! Of which I took one piece of chicken breast and whatever vegetables sauteed with it I think they were just mushrooms, my partner took none of the chicken cuz he didn't want to fill up on chicken. The white meat was dry the sauteed vegetables were delicious and when eating with the chicken it was palatable. Then my partner and I got ONE SMALL scallop each, the family style "platter" that came out had FIVE scallops on them so he and I both took one as did the couple across from us and then the last one was taken by another couple next to us which is fine because we share family "platters", those five scallops were not meant just for my partner and I, they were meant for the vicinity of where we were sitting which was 10 of us. I think the long table held about 40 on one side 40 on the other. The lobster, same thing, luckily I got one piece which was a white meat and I split that in half to my partner and it wasn't a lot it was literally, for me, two bites and he got some claws which I never tasted and they were so tiny!! the halibut again small pieces on the family style "platter" I took one he took one and then later he took another one that was still sitting on the platter, I think maybe 6/7 pieces were on that platter. Honestly I've tasted better halibut it was on the dry side unfortunately. So for the money,$150 EACH, we expected family style portions even if they weren't going to be filled after the first time at least give us a family style portion and when the guy across the table from us asked about getting more Lobster the wait staff said "I'll have to see", of course none ever came. When my partner asked if more scallops were coming the wait staff said "I don't think so"... so all in all it was very disappointing for the amount of money we paid per person, we will never do that again or recommend it. His friend either gas lit us or his night of a meat dinner family style "platters" were very significant!!

Beautiful venue and great food and drink! I have visited Little Dipper Farm for several of the…read moreField & Feast events from the incomparable team at Stone Row KB out of Willimantic. The space pays homage to the previous business Golden Lamb while adding new flair! From an afternoon tea in the Fall to a Summer celebration; the farm features the idyllic countryside of Eastern CT and rustic chic interior perfect for a special event. The signature locally-sourced small plates and cocktails from Stone Row crew have been excellent, and make the meal more of an evolving experience. Thanks for a lovely time!

So if you've ever seen the Wes Anderson movie "Moonrise Kingdom" - and you've hiked this trail to…read moreLong Pond - you'll recognize the scenery around the pond from the top of a massive glacial boulder. Regardless of its Hollywood connections (and my hats off to the camera crew and actors for getting up there!), this is quite the hiking area, though not for the faint-hearted. It does involve a bit of clambering up and down boulders, so be sure to bring a stout set of hiking boots or shoes ... and I'd recommend long pants to deal with the rocks and branches as you're more than likely to be finding yourself scooching down them on your butt at some points. (Yours truly wore only cross-trainers and boy did I regret it: I could not get any traction to summit that huge glacial formation and had to settle vicariously for the distant oohs and ahhs of wonderment from my wife and daughter). We started at the North Road trailhead for the main Narragansett Trail which is marked by yellow blazes but be aware (or beware?) that the turn-off to this spectacular view of the pond - while marked by a big red arrow on a rock - is an unmarked trail, so be sure to take mental pictures of the turns and forks so you don't get lost on the way back. But it sure is worth making this deviation! The main trial can be quite the hike and the opposite direction will take you into Connecticut if you so wish. There is supposed to be another unmarked trail opposite the one going to Long Pond which will take you to Ell Pond, but we weren't able to find the entrance to that trail from the main one - we're guessing probably because it's less traveled and maintained. In addition to Long pond, we were impressed by the large amount of rhododendrons in the forest - we promised ourselves to visit in the spring when they'd be blossoming as that must be a sight to see. This Narragansett Trail area is definitely worth repeat visits! Please note that there are no privys or running water at the trailhead - and parking areas are sparse.

The Long Pond-Ell Pond Nature Area is a spectacular location to stretch your legs and take in some…read morefantastic views of rural Rhode Island. As an avid hiker in the White Mountains of New Hampshire... it was wonderful to find beauty in one's own backyard. It was a crisp Saturday afternoon that I found myself driving down a dirt road in Hopkinton to the Long Pond trailhead. The drive down North Road (aka Old Rockville Road) itself was even enjoyable. The narrow dirt road meandered through branches, heavy with yellowed leaves until the obvious intersection of a couple of cars with several pull offs. There is room for 2 cars at this trailhead, with a pull off for another 2 just before the small parking area. The trail is well-marked with yellow blazes on the trees. Be mindful of who is participating in this hike... it isn't quite simply a leisurely walk in the woods. There are many rock scrambles, some elevation gain, and quite a bit of maneuvering to go to and fro. As you head down the trail from the parking area I mentioned, you reach a crossroads of sorts. If you turn left you hike a short ways until you reach a very large rock formation. At the top is wonderful outlook onto Long Pond. It is a great place to lunch. If you turn right you head toward views of Ell Pond (I didn't go this way on my trip). If you head "straight" which is actually kind of towards the right as well you descend into a forested valley and towards other adventures in the area. The hike to this crossroads is quite manageable and a quick trip. The beauty of this area is that you can make your hike as long or as short as you'd like. It is not a loop so you can decide to turn back at any point and be quite aware of how far and long it will take you. Great in any season I am sure... Fall was perfect. Wish I had gone when there was a bit more foliage to look at but stunning none-the-less. Quiet, serene, a joy to visit. I will most certainly visit this area again and traverse more of its trails. Be sure to wear your blaze orange during hunting season, September to February generally. I'm not sure how much hunting is allowed in this area but I'd rather be safe than sorry!

The Ephraim Hunt Ministerial Land is a conservation area maintained by the Rehoboth Land Trust that…read moreoffers several well maintained pathways through the local woodlands. At approximately 64 acres, this land is a quiet, peaceful place to stretch your legs. Tucked away on Pond Street, there is a dirt parking lot that allows several cars to pull in off the road. The land was purchased by the Rehoboth Land Trust when the Congregational Church at the center of town required funds to repair their sanctuary ceiling and steeple. Wanting to maintain the land as undeveloped, this area remains open to the public to soak in the sights and sounds of nature. Hunting is allowed on the property in-season so be sure to take precautions, as appropriate. Swamps, old fields, brooks, and a high knoll mark the land. A map of the area greets you when you pass through the main gate, though I feel like there were more trails than what was pictured. All-in-all, there are only so many ways to go so its hard to get lost. There are some ups and downs and a lovely little boardwalk that helps you traverse some of the wetlands. The trails were very well maintained and easy to traverse - the blue to orange path gives you a nice loop through the land. The furthest end of the loop skirts the Rehoboth Village Cemetery if you want to make a quick detour.

There is a good sized dirt parking area here with security lights. A trail map is located at the…read moretrail head and the paths are very clearly blazed. You can see they have been through and cleared winter debris from the trail. The terrain is rocky with plenty of roots and has a slight incline. Nothing too strenuous. An excellent location to get into the woods for a quick day hike.

This is such a hidden gem! I would def recommend making the trek out to enjoy it. We followed a…read moreroute on all trails but took our own way sometimes too making our hike about 6 miles. It wasn't very green yet but we cannot wait to come back in a month. There were some deer tracks, two garter snakes, a frog, and lots pretty birds. Oh and a crab! Our pup did great too. Make sure to check for ticks. We found a few on him!

This is one of those places I wish I could give more than 5 stars to. It's that's beautiful…read more Rodman's Hollow is indeed a hollow, sort of a big hole in the landscape. It's a bit under 50 acres and is crossed with hiking trails. 50 acres might not sound like much but since the trails go up and down and all around you can spend hours exploring this place. The Hollow was formed during the last period of glaciation, about 20,000 years ago and is the only know habitat of a small vole like creature. Don't plan on actually seeing the beast because they are reported to be extremely shy, but I have seen very small trails in the grass that might be made by the voles. Unfortunately besides the voles Rodman's Hollow is also home to an enormous amount of ticks. If you do go hiking make sure you take a bath in tick repellent or you might be taking home more than just fond memories. Rodman's Hollow is a relatively short bike ride from the center of town and only a few miles from Southeast Lighthouse. It's a incredible beautiful part of Block Island that unfortunately few people take the time to visit.

BI has done an outstanding job of preserving their green-space. Unfortunately they've done a…read moremiserable job of providing maps of any kind, most significantly lacking in trail maps. Rodman's Hollow is gorgeous and can keep you meandering for an afternoon. If you're an average hiker, or really anyone in good health, the BI trails will not be too challenging and they're full of gorgeous rewards. If you're not up for a long hike or any moderately challenging inclines, you may find yourself facing more of a hike than you'd hoped for since getting information about trails is the only downside to BI hiking.